General Procedures – Academic Integrity Cases

The information below can be found in the Student Handbook, and all violations must be submitted using the online reporting form found here.

When a student is suspected of violating academic integrity standards, the faculty member will, as soon as reasonably possible, take the following actions:

Preserve all documentation and material relevant to the case

Consult with the department head or designee, or other if the reporter is the department head.

Notify the student of the suspected infraction and the faculty member’s intention to submit a complaint, and seek the student’s explanation.

Undertake any further investigation the faculty member considers appropriate, and initially determine whether a violation of the Academic Integrity policy has occurred.

a. If the student agrees a violation has occurred, the faculty member will inform the department head or designee, program director, or equivalent administrator (hereafter referred to as department head) offering the course of the alleged violation, and the violation will be referred via the online reporting form to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards with an appropriate sanction.
b.If the student disagrees that a violation has occurred, the faculty member will require the student to meet with the department head who will make a final determination whether a violation of the Academic Integrity policy has occurred.

If, based on the information presented by the faculty member, the student, and with the results of any further investigation the department head may undertake, the department head agrees that an academic integrity infraction has occurred, the department head and faculty member will determine the appropriate sanctions and inform the student of their decision. The violation will be referred via the online reporting form to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards with an appropriate sanction.

Any Academic Integrity violation beyond a first offense is subject to the sanctions determined by the academic department as well as to disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed through the University conduct process as administered through the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. These sanctions may include suspension or expulsion from the University and are subject to an appeal process described in the Student Handbook.

All cases of academic dishonesty will be communicated to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. Interpretation of this information as it relates to alleged violations of the Drexel University Academic Integrity policy are left to the discretion of the faculty member, department head, dean of the college, and Provost. Students are strongly encouraged to request that the faculty member specify his/her individual expectations prior to the commencing of projects and/or assignments. Consultation and advice are available through the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

Sanction Guidelines for Violating the Academic Integrity policy

First/all violations:

If an act of academic dishonesty is determined to have occurred, one or more of the following sanctions will be imposed, depending on the severity of the offense:

Reduction of a course grade.

An “F” for the assignment or exam.

Failure for the entire course

Other action deemed appropriate by the faculty member

Any of the above sanctions with the inability to withdraw.

Examples of other action deemed appropriate include, but are not limited to, requiring the student to re-take the exam, re-complete an assignment, or complete an assigned exercise. The decision of the faculty member and the department head shall be reported to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, which is responsible for maintaining student conduct records. The incident will result in an official disciplinary record for the student(s).

Second violation:

Suspension or expulsion, in addition to any sanction issued from the list above.

A violation of the Academic Integrity policy discovered after the conferral of a degree is grounds for Withdrawal of (Rescind) Degree.

Q: Who do I contact with more questions?
A: Call 215-895-6074 and ask for Stephen Rupprecht or email sccs@drexel.edu

Q: What happens to the student’s conduct file?
A: As stated in the Student Handbook:

“All student conduct records are kept in accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and the Clery Act (1990). Subject to the provisions and exceptions of FERPA, all student conduct files are private. Files may only be reviewed in the presence of the Assistant Dean of Student Conduct and Community Standards or designee. Nothing may be removed, added, or copied.
The University will retain physical student conduct records (non-Clery) for resolved cases for one year after the graduation of the student or one year after the expected graduation for inactive students. The University reserves the right to keep records for a longer period of time if unresolved or deemed necessary. In cases of expulsion, the University will retain records indefinitely.”